vncnus Chapter 154 Lonely Companionship
Chapter 154 Lonely Companionship
Without further hesitation, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it forcefully.
"Click".
The door wasn't locked from the inside.
His heart tightened, and he immediately pushed open the door.
A cloud of air, thick with dust and despair, seeped out from under the door, causing him to instinctively hold his breath.
In the past, Tang Wei and her friends would often open the windows to let in fresh air.
Clearly, it was deliberately turned off.
She needs a secluded environment to heal herself.
The room was dark, with only the pale moonlight from outside the window barely outlining its shape.
Everything was shrouded in a depressing darkness.
And what he feared most came to pass.
The bed was empty.
Is no one in bed?
Ning Xiuyang's heart jumped into his throat.
He rushed into the room almost immediately, while simultaneously groping along the wall to turn on the light.
"Clatter".
The switch was pressed, but the room remained dark.
Is the light broken? Or was the power switched off?
Ning Xiuyang didn't have time to think much before he immediately took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.
A blinding beam of light instantly tore through the darkness of the room.
The light swept quickly across the room.
The desk, the wardrobe—everything was arranged neatly, showing no signs of a struggle.
The windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn all the way down.
What about people?
Where exactly is Tang Wei?
Ning Xiuyang's heart was pounding, and one terrifying thought after another kept popping into his mind uncontrollably.
He forced himself to calm down and slowly moved the light from his phone to every corner of the room.
Finally, in the narrow gap between the bed and the wall, he saw a huddled figure, looking so lonely and helpless.
It's Tang Wei!
She just hugged her knees, curled up in that dark corner, buried her head deep between her arms, like a wounded young animal hiding in a cave, licking its wounds alone.
Her whole body was trembling slightly, as if she were enduring great pain.
Seeing this scene, Ning Xiuyang's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt half relieved, but then an indescribable feeling of heartache and anger surged up again.
He approached slowly, step by step, cautiously.
He dared not walk too fast, for fear that the sound of his footsteps would frighten the girl who was already on the verge of collapse.
"Tang Wei?"
He stopped two steps away from her, crouched down, and tentatively called her name in the softest voice he could.
The figure in the corner trembled violently, but still did not raise its head or make a sound.
She shut herself off.
They built a protective shell around themselves with silence and darkness, refusing to communicate with the outside world in any way.
Her world was now shrouded in darkness.
Ning Xiuyang looked at her thin, trembling shoulders and felt a sharp pang in his heart.
He didn't say anything more, nor did he try to forcibly pull her away.
He simply squatted there quietly, adjusting the flashlight on his phone to a softer tone to avoid directly irritating her.
Time passed, second by second.
The room was so quiet that only the two of them could be heard breathing, one light and one heavy.
Ning Xiuyang patiently stayed with her, using his presence to tell her that she was not alone.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe three minutes, maybe ten minutes.
Tang Wei's violently trembling body finally calmed down a little.
She seemed to realize that the person beside her had no intention of harming her.
She slowly, very slowly, raised her head slightly.
In the peripheral light of his phone, Ning Xiuyang finally saw her face clearly.
That usually stubborn and resilient pretty face was now deathly pale, devoid of any color.
Her hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks, her eyes were swollen and red like two walnuts, covered with blood vessels, and there were still tear stains on her face.
What made Ning Xiuyang's heart tighten the most was her eyes.
Those eyes, once clear and bright, always radiating strength and confidence, are now empty and numb, as if covered with a thick layer of dead ashes, devoid of any light.
That was... a look of despair for the whole world.
Seeing that look in his eyes, Ning Xiuyang felt even worse than if he had been beaten up by Li Mingfeng.
Physical injuries can be healed.
But the wounds in one's heart, once left, may become scars for a lifetime.
That beast Li Mingfeng, just how cruelly did he do to this girl!
He could die ten thousand times and it still wouldn't be enough to atone for his sins!
Do you want to cry?
Ning Xiuyang finally spoke again, his voice terribly hoarse.
"If you want to cry, then cry it out."
"There's no one else here, only my brother."
"Crying it out will make you feel better."
His words were like a key, unlocking the floodgates that had been tightly shut in Tang Wei's heart.
Those empty eyes finally filled with tears again.
Large, hot tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, hitting the floor with soft yet incredibly heavy thuds.
But she still didn't make a sound.
She just bit her lip hard, trying not to make a sound, letting her tears flow silently.
This silly girl, even at this point, is still using this self-destructive method to punish herself and maintain her pitiful pride.
Ning Xiuyang felt heartbroken seeing this.
He reached out, wanting to pat her shoulder and comfort her.
But just as he reached halfway out, he saw Tang Wei flinch like a startled rabbit and bury her head back down.
She is afraid.
She was afraid of being touched by anyone.
Ning Xiuyang's hand froze in mid-air.
He slowly withdrew his hand, clenched it into a fist, and his nails dug deeply into his palm.
An unprecedented rage burned fiercely in his chest.
He knew that Li Mingfeng's actions went beyond mere beating; they represented a complete destruction of Tang Wei's dignity and personality.
This caused her, who had always presented herself as strong on the outside but was actually weak and sensitive on the inside, to suffer severe self-doubt and psychological trauma.
For her, everything that happened today was a nightmare.
What I need to do now is to pull her out of this nightmare.
"Tang Wei, look at me."
Ning Xiuyang's voice was no longer as gentle as before, but carried an undeniable command.
"Lift your head and look at me."
The girl in the corner trembled again.
She seemed to be intimidated by the forceful tone. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally slowly raised her tear-streaked face.
Her bewildered and desperate eyes met Ning Xiuyang's deep and sharp gaze.
Eyes facing each other.
Ning Xiuyang saw brokenness, pain, and helplessness in her eyes.
He spoke each word clearly and solemnly:
"Don't be afraid."
"Brother's here."